1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to a computer having a setup function setting device for setting the use environment of the computer (referred to hereinafter as “setup”), and, more particularly, the present invention is related to a computer wherein an operator of the computer (referred to hereinafter as “user”) can set the use environment by him/herself.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computers are conventionally provided with a setup function by which the user can set up the hardware environment. Recently, many functions that did not previously exist in conventional personal computers have been added to the setup functions of personal computers.
An example of setup functions of a notebook personal computer will be described below. A notebook personal computer is a small-size, lightweight portable personal computer. The notebook-type portable personal computer was developed mainly for uses such as connecting to a network from an external destination. When the notebook-type personal computer (PC) is used at an external destination, the environment differs from an office where ordinary computers are used, and often there is no convenient power supply source. As a result, batteries often power the notebook-type of personal computer, and a variety of techniques have been used to extend the length of usable battery time. An example of a technique used to extend the length of usable battery time is to have an energy-saving function that reduces the amount of power consumption and extends the usable battery time.
Furthermore, in addition to the energy-saving function, security functions are also used to prevent information leaks when the notebook-type PC is connected to the network via external destination points.
Accordingly, many functions have recently been added to computers that did not exist in conventional computers. As a result, when performing setup, it is necessary to setup many items that include the power saving functions and security functions.
Furthermore, in the past, the display screens generally used during setup were display screens controlled by a Basic Input Output System (BIOS) program (hereinafter referred to as a “BIOS setup screen”). BIOS, which is normally stored in read-only memory (ROM), is a computer activation program that initiates operations when the power is turned on, and that conducts the most basic processing in relation to the hardware.
However, the general user does not ordinarily use the BIOS setup screen. Therefore, unless a highly trained personal computer user is operating the personal computer, it is very difficult to conduct the setup operations by oneself from the BIOS setup screen.
To simplify setup, commercial products have recently appeared that have functions to set the setup settings from display screens controlled by an operating system (referred to hereinafter as “OS”) or by an application program (referred to hereinafter as “application”) for some of the setup setting items, such as the energy saving function.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional computer hardware configuration, and FIG. 5 is an example of a conventional BIOS setup screen.
As shown in FIG. 4, the computer hardware is mutually connected via a bus 60, and is provided with a central processing unit (CPU) 51 that controls all systems, a keyboard 52, a mouse (not shown in FIG. 4), a display device 53 for display, a system random access memory (SRAM) 54 used when operating the applications, a BIOS ROM 55 in which the BIOS program is stored, a ROM (not shown in the figure) to store a real time clock 56 operating as a timer, a CMOS memory 57 to store setting values relating to the BIOS setup, a backup battery 58 to supply power to the real time clock 56 and CMOS memory 57, a hard disk drive (HDD) 59 in which programs, such as the OS and applications, and data are stored, a floppy disk drive (FDD) (not shown in the figure), a compact disk-ROM (CD-ROM) drive (not shown in the figure), a communications control device (not shown in the figure), and various interface circuits (not shown in the figure).
The interface relationships between the computer hardware shown in FIG. 4 and software, such as the applications, OS and BIOS, are shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, a BIOS 73 has an interface (arrows a, b) to control the computer hardware 72, and directly controls the hardware 72. Moreover, the BIOS 73 also has an interface (arrows c, d, e, f) with the software that operates on the BIOS, such as the OS 77 and application 78. As shown in FIG. 6, the OS 77 that operates on the BIOS controls the hardware 72 through the BIOS 73. Furthermore, the BIOS 73 includes an interface control unit 74 that interfaces with the input devices, etc., a setup screen control unit 75 that controls the setup screen, and an initialization control unit 76 that conducts power on self test (POST) processing.
The application 78 can indirectly access the BIOS 73 (arrows e, f, g, h) through the OS 77, and has direct access to the BIOS 73 (arrows c, d) without going through the OS 77.
As described above, the hardware 72 can be set from the display screen controlled by the OS 77 or set from the display screen controlled by the application 78. In either case, the contents of these settings are always transmitted to the hardware 72 after having passed through the BIOS 73.
The type of computer does not specifically determine the type of setup method. This is because, of the various setting items, in addition to being able to make the settings from the BIOS setup screen, some setting items may be set from display screens controlled by the OS 77 or the application 78. Further, some setting items, which may be set only from the BIOS setup screen, cannot be set from the display screens controlled by the OS 77 or application 78, and depend on the BIOS specification or the OS and application specification that are operated on the BIOS 73.
For example, if there is no access to the hard disk for a fixed time, a hard disk timeout function that sets the time up to when the hard disk motor is stopped may be configured as described below.
The hard disk timeout function settings for personal computers that operate with Microsoft MS-DOS can be set only from the BIOS setup screen, and those set values are enabled. In contrast, for personal computers that operate with Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98, in addition to settings from the BIOS setup screen, it is possible to make settings from the display screen controlled by Windows 95 or Windows 98 (“Windows” is a registered trademark of the Microsoft Corporation). Of the various setting values, the one having the shortest time is enabled. Moreover, if there is no keyboard input or data input for a fixed time, the display is automatically canceled, and the hard disk enters the standby state.
An auto-suspend timeout function to stop the CPU 51 is configured as described below. In personal computers that operate with Microsoft MS-DOS or Windows 95, the auto-suspend timeout function settings are possible only from the BIOS setup screen, and those setting values are enabled. In contrast, in personal computers that operate with Windows 98, in addition to making settings from the BIOS setup screen, it is possible to make settings from the display screen that is controlled by Windows 98. In this case, the settings from the BIOS setup screen are disabled, and only the setting values from the display screen controlled by the OS (Windows 98) are enabled.
Nonetheless, the setup method described above is only listed in the BIOS operating manual and, as shown in FIG. 5, the BIOS setup screen does not identify and display whether or not the setup settings are actually enabled. Because the BIOS setup screen does not identify whether the settings are actually enabled, for example, if a new version of the OS or the application is installed, there may be setting items (referred to hereinafter as “substitutable setting items”) which have been modified from the setting contents that were set from the setup screen controlled by the BIOS, and the settings set from the display screens controlled by the OS or the application have priority. A user who is only experienced performing setup with the BIOS setup screen may not know this fact. In this case, the user performs setup by the same operational method as before, but the desired setting values are not achieved.
The specific process by which the setup is executed in relation to the hardware when turning on the power supply will be described below. In the discussion below, it will be assumed that Windows 98 is the operating system.
Because the BIOS is used when the power is turned on, the BIOS executes the environmental settings in relation to the hardware in accordance with the setting values for setup that are pre-stored in memory (referred to hereinafter as the “BIOS setting values”). After the setup based on the BIOS setting values is complete, the OS is activated. In the process of the OS being activated to set the “hard disk timeout function” or the “auto-suspend timeout function,” the OS directs the BIOS to overwrite the BIOS setting values that were once set in relation to the hardware with setting values from the display screen controlled by the OS, and the hardware settings are overwritten. As a result, the environmental settings that were actually executed produce a state that is completely different from the setting values desired by the user.
If the user notices this state and attempts to reset the setting values from the BIOS setup screen, the user has to restart the power source and open the BIOS setup screen once again. Nonetheless, the BIOS setting values that were previously set by the user him/herself from the BIOS setup screen will be displayed on the BIOS setup screen. The set values of the use environment in the period immediately prior to turning on the power source (referred to hereinafter as the “prior power source cycle”) will not be displayed on the BIOS setup screen. For this reason, the user mistakenly thinks that some kind of trouble has occurred in relation to the difference between the set values and the actual environmental settings, and performs the wrong countermeasures. As a result of these inappropriate countermeasures, a problem arises in that the correct setup may not be executed.
Even assuming the user knows that there are substitutable setting items among the setting items displayed on the BIOS setup screen, if the setup is conducted correctly, it is necessary to look at a manual or to seek out a trained person to confirm which setting items are substitutable by the OS or by an application, and an effective process does not occur.
Conducting the setting operations for the computer setup as described above takes a long time, and places a large burden on a user who wants to set the setup settings effectively in a short period of time.